Schellas Hyndman's club recorded ties in three straight home
games from May 16-June 7.

"We've tied enough at home, that slippery slope is getting more
slippery and we need to start getting more wins," the Dallas
coach said. "They? (Columbus) were a little tired and we kept
pressing."

Dallas (3-7-4) was awarded a penalty kick after Crew defender
Chad Marshall was called for a reckless foul inside the penalty
box on David Ferreira.

Cooper notched his seventh goal of the year by putting the kick
into the left corner of the net.

"I felt like I ?got my arm in front of him and position," said
Marshall of the call. "I'm 6'4" and he (Ferreira) is 5'4", he's
going to go down in that position."

Dallas had tied the game when Eric Avila, who entered just four
minutes earlier for Anthony Wallace, scored his first career MLS
goal in the 80th minute.

Avila curled a right-footed volley from outside the top left
corner of the penalty box and into the right corner of the net.

"As soon as I got in I tried to attack," Avila said. "As soon as
I touched the ball inside I knew I had a shot. I've been waiting
almost a year."

Columbus took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute after an own goal by
FC Dallas captain Pablo Ricchetti. A corner kick from Guillermo
Barros Schelotto was headed by Eric Brunner toward the Dallas
net, then bounced off Ricchetti's chest and into the right
corner.

It was the second time in three games that Ricchetti has been
the victim of an own goal. Ricchetti's other own goal was in a
2-2 tie against San Jose on June 7.

"We didn't want to settle for a tie," Avila added. "They were
sitting back they gave us a lot of chances to attack them."

FC Dallas outshot the Crew 14-13, including 8-6 in the second
half.? Columbus almost allowed an own goal in the 60th? minute
after Dave van den Bergh's shot bounced off of Crew defender
Gino Padula and drifted a few feet wide right of the
post.???????????????

"At some point we have to lose a game," Crew coach Robert
Warzycha said. "I think in the second half we dropped too much.
Obviously we don't want to lose on a penalty kick."